A few weeks ago, I took a three day print making workshop through the Visual Arts Society of Texas. The workshop was in Denton, which is only about 30 minutes from my home, but the main road between here and there is under construction, so I opted to take the train.
We printed with Akua inks which are relatively new to the market. The amazing thing about these inks is they stay wet and workable until they are pressed onto paper. Kind of strange actually.
We did several different kinds of printing. This is a dry point plate. The design is scratched into plexi with that twisty pointy tool.
This is a collagraph.
I suppose an art student would learn more about these techniques, but I'm self taught, so it was mostly new to me.
I think this was a mono print. The ink was rolled onto a sheet of plexi, I played around with the ladder stencil, then placed the paper on top of the plexi plate and rolled it through the press we had for the workshop.
Here's a print from the collagraph.
Morning at the train station.
The workshop was led by the experienced and talented Junanne Peck. She's got the glasses on top of her head in the middle of the photo.
More mono prints with ladders.
Heres the press we used. We had a pin press too, which is a super heavy perfectly balanced "rolling pin" that makes nice prints if you don't have a press.
We also carved stamps in mdf (medium density fiber board). It was super easy to carve. I might consider doing more of that in the future.
Wood block prints.
Happy artist!
I created this 12x12 inch fabric collage with one of the woodblock prints. It was fun to incorporate the print with other fabrics and stitching.
I loved all three days. I made tons of prints. I'm not sure what I'll do with them. I met some new people that I know I'll see again. I began/continued exploring the bowl and the ladder as symbols for my work. I have some new techniques that I could use for printing fabric.
Will I become a printmaker? Nope. The whole time I could barely stop thinking about how all of this could be translated to fabric and stitch.
5 comments:
Mdf! Never thought of using that : )
Love the turquoise piece you made, its really striking!
Great prints. I wonder if you could use a sizzex as a faux press?
What a FUN time!! It looks like you got some great prints. I'll be looking forward to seeing additional quilt translations!
My quilt be just experimented with mono printing last weekend. You can read about that by following the link provided below.
http://nimblethimblesblog.blogspot.com/2015/06/62015-nt-annual-dye-frenzy-dee-dees.html
What a great workshop! I love all the pieces you made and the techniques lend themselves so perfectly to fabric!
excellent "woodcut" and the use of it in the 12 by 12--wonderful.
I, too, have always seen bowls as a metaphor. Empty, full, possibilities.
Great post.
I loved printing in college and the plexiglass etched with the "pointy"
thing is giving me ideas. And now I want to find a ceramics class so I can make bowls.
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